What If... [EXO Suho and Apink Eunji Fanfiction]

Chapter 3

He found Baekhyun spread out on the couch, eyes closed and listening to something. It didn't cross his mind to check what his junior was listening to, just that it was soon going to be time for their new variety show to air and the couch needed to be free.

He stepped close and shook Baekhyun awake, pulling the headphones out of his ear. the younger man sat up in a hurry, freeing up enough space on the couch for Junmyeon to sit at the end of it. He seemed a bit embarrassed being caught lazing around when the rest of them had been hard at work.

"Baekhyun-ah," Junmyeon began, in what the members had dubbed the "mom" voice. "I know it's your day off, but don't you think you should be out enjoying instead of just staying at the dorm all day?"

"I know, I know," Baekhyun said, pouting a bit. "I didn't actually think you'd be home."

Junmyeon shrugged. "A shoot got cancelled. I also had some things to take care of before the others got back."

"Oh, they're already coming back?" Baekhyun sat up a bit more. Now there was enough space on that couch to accommodate one more person.

Junmyeon nodded slightly. "Yeah, in another half hour or so. So make space for them."

Baekhyun pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross-legged. Junmyeon sighed. Well, this was better than nothing. Another thought then struck the older idol. "Hey, what were you listening to, anyway?"

Baekhyun turned his phone to show the cover art for the music. "It's our song, hyung," he happily said. "The song we did with Jung Eunji."

Junmyeon squinted a bit more at the visual. "Was it really that good?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" Baekhyun exclaimed, his voice rising in excitement. "It's amazing! The fans love it too! I was checking on SNS earlier today and all the fans love this rendition."

Junmyeon hummed in agreement. He had only listened to the final version once, but he did have to admit, it sounded good, really good. His professional mind went to how Eunji's feminine vocals immediately contrasted the spectrum of male vocals put out by them. And considering the fans' response too, he wouldn't say he didn't look forward to another collab like this sometime in the future. 

"Oh, and hyung, have you seen this?" Baekhyun asked, bringing Junmyeon back down to earth. The younger idol was excitedly scrolling through his phone, giving small reminders every now and then to wait and that he almost got it. When he did finally get it, he showed Junmyeon his phone which was filled with SNS messages.

"The fans loved you and Eunji-shi's performance in the drama and now ship the two of you together!"

He had said it way too happily for Junmyeon. He took the phone out of the other's hand and scrolled through the feed, feeling a strange sense of cold set in his chest. 

He wasn't necessarily happy or angry at the fact that his fans would like him to be in a relationship with a girl, it just gave him cold sweats. 

"You don't like her, do you, hyung?" Baekhyun suddenly asked.

"What?" Junmyeon asked. "It's not like that. I do like her, but not in the way the fans want me to like her."

"It's all professional, isn't it?" Baekhyun asked, leaning against the back of the couch and sighing.

Junmyeon raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you want to tell me, Baekhyun-ah?"

Baekhyun gave another deep sigh. "It's nothing you should worry about, hyung," he said. "But it's just...we've debuted for four years and all that time you've been taking care of all of us. Even when Kris, Tao and Luhan left, even through mine and Kai's scandals, you've been looking out for us. I'm just..."